Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell belongs to J.K Rowling

Chapter 9: Forgiveness

Sirius tossed the balled-up parchment into the transfigured play pen and watched as his baby and James' baby rushed after it, their makeshift napkins shaking amusingly as they raced for the improvised ball.

He stifled his laughter though, keeping a grin at bay, in the hopes of appearing unimpressed and surly, a feat he seemed to dismally fail at due to the 'I-told-you-so' smug expression his best friend was throwing at him.

No… he most definitely did not tell him so! This was going against the natural order of pranking, the prankers do not assist the prankees in cleaning up the mess, especially when said prankers went through such degrees to sabotage the prankees.

He glanced at Peter who was busy trying to coax a baby into sucking the bottle of milk that Evans had charmed into existence; Godric knows where the redhead summoned it from. It was thanks to Peter that this whole thing was possible; Evans and Mary hadn't noticed the rat that slipped the Age Potion into their cake batter down in the kitchens earlier on. He watched as his small friend glanced to the corner of the room, frowning slightly at the sight that greeted him.

In retrospect, it was Moony's doing, considering he had concocted the potion for them. Sirius followed Peter's gaze over to his sandy haired friend and raised a brow in pleasant surprise.

Remus and Shafiq were cosying up into a single armchair, the little girls surrounding them invisible as they seemed to be a few heartbeats away from kissing.

Sirius turned away, understanding how private Moony was, and knowing himself well enough that he could never restrain from the teasing that would result if he witnessed his best friend and Shafiq finally sealing the deal.

James laughed as Evans' baby wrestled the ball out of the other babies' hands; it was slightly disconcerting that the child looked like it might be her actual baby too, considering Nathaniel Fairbrother's red hair was akin to her own.

"Thank Godric she isn't here, you know how competitive she is, she might just gloss over the fact that we're playing fetch with the babies, to celebrate her victory."

James looked eagerly at the door that the girl in question had disappeared through mere moments ago. Nate had spat up on her shirt, or whatever it is you call that green monstrosity Evans wore to sleep, and she thankfully went to change considering the siphoning charm never managed to get rid of the smell of baby burp.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his best friend; they weren't supposed to play anything with the children! They were supposed to sit back and watch the chaos explode, knowing Evans and the girls would never be able to prove it was them and have to endure the hours of torture, of changing diapers and soothing crabby crying and all those other horrid stuff.

Sirius' eyes lit up though when it landed on the dark brown curls of his pale skinned baby, Finbar Canavan, who plucked up the scrunched-up ball while the other two babies argued in unintelligible gurgles and hobbled over to him.

"Come on boy! Come on!" Sirius coaxed to the shuffling creature with his arms spread open and he grinned as Finn placed the bit of parchment in his hand and he threw the baby up into his arms, "That's a good boy! I can't wait for Evans to get back down so she realises that her victory was usurped! And by none other than he who tried fitting his head into her shirt five minutes ago."

James glowered, remembering that Canavan was indeed trying to crawl into Evans shirt, Sirius was half sure that was what convinced him to help the redhead, that, and the fact that James was a sucker for a damsel in distress. Which made Sirius all the more baffled at the fact that James claimed to be in love with the most headstrong and independent girl in the school.

"Your baby looks older than my baby, we should have weighed them in to make sure things are fair."

"It's not my fault your babies are greedy little mongrels." Sirius smirked, knowing that the intensity of the age potion was directly proportionate to the amount consumed, hence some babies like Peter's and Mary's were blubbering little things, whilst James, Evans and his could actually crawl and hobble around - it was hard to consider the drunken tottering they did walking.

James opened his mouth in protest as Sirius placed Finbar back down in the play pen with a ruffle of his hair, he really was adorable.

Sirius never interacted with babies much, all of his cousins were close to his age and Reg was only a year younger than him, but he knew as clear as veritaserum that he wanted a ton of babies when he was older. Purebloods never had many children due to having to split the inheritance, some families like the Malfoys came from a long line of only children.

Personally, Sirius hoped the news of his tenth baby would one day give his mother a heart attack.

He couldn't wait.

"It's not their fault Evans is such a good baker." James smiled wistfully and Sirius shook his head, the boy could really forgive Evans anything, even that fight they had on Thursday.

Suddenly the smile dropped from James's visage and he froze as if he was doused with a bucket of white paint as the blood rushed from his face and Sirius' ears pricked as he registered the scream from above.

"Evans!"

James had barely got the word out as he spun around and in that one fleeting moment where his face was visible, Sirius believed for the first time in six years… that his best friend truly was in love with Lily Evans.

He snapped out of his shock with the sound of a thud, and he hastened after James, but instead of barging into the Girls' dormitory stairs, Sirius fell to the floor next to the book shelf near the door and pulled out the broom they hid underneath it.

By the time he got onto the staircase, James was sprawled at the foot, obviously forgetting the curse on the stairs but he was on his feet and behind Sirius in a second as they both flew up to the dormitories.

They landed and ascended to the second-floor, just as a group of second years hovered in the corridor, staring fearfully at the closed wooden door before them. One of the braver ones headed up the front, a determined point to her chin, her black hair cloaking her stiff neck as she walked towards the entrance to the Sixth year dorms.

"No." Sirius tossed the broom aside as he ran in front of the girls, "Get back into your dorm and stay there. Go." He spoke calmly to the girl; a feat he was unaware he could accomplish as his heart was beating erratically as he felt Prongs fling the door open behind him.

The girl retreated and Sirius spun around and surged through the open door, the first of the mysteries was this very door never opened to his touch, or James. It opened for none but its occupants, the girls always placed a charm that kept intruders out of their room after the Dungbomb Debacle of '73. Evans had hexed him and James so badly they couldn't sit for days after that particular incident.

His musings were forgotten as his eyes were greeted by a gruesome sight and he ran forward as James helped Evans off the floor, blood mingling in her fiery locks, "I'm okay, I just bumped my head. Jude-"

Evans stepped forward but James halted her with a firm grip as Sirius glanced at the bedside table at their side, the slight gleam of blood upon the corner… she more than just bumped her head, and despite the stubborn tilt to her chin, her pale cheeks was washed with stray tears of pain.

"Will you stop struggling and let me heal you." James snapped as Evans kept pushing him away.

"I'm fine. Please, Potter. Please just-" She weakly pushed at his hands as her eyes flickered to the bathroom door and Sirius decisively turned towards it.

"No, Black-"

Sirius already had the door open and stilled momentarily with his fingers on the handle.

A memory of a brunette girl lying at the feet of a dark-haired lunatic came to his mind.

Of cruel laughter.

Of rain-soaked cloaks.

Of a still and unmoving body that unsettled him.

For a moment all he could see was the shallow breathing and dark hair spread over a basement floor, a room dancing with the dynamic colours of a duel.

And then he was on his knees and back in the present, next to the tiny girl, her black eyes unnaturally dark in the melting ice that was her face, white and sweaty and cold, a wheezy gravelly breath breaking free from her parted lips as he pulled her up, her back to his chest as he glanced down at her.

He could see it now, ironically, at what looked like her worst moment, the feminine texture to her face. The cheekbones and chin and softness as her cheek slumped against his heart, her short brown locks mashed against his heart as the wheezing sound grew within her and Sirius quickly snuck his hand under her legs and carried her back into the dorm. Amidst all the mystery of her present condition Sirius was extremely unsettled by the sheer weightlessness of the girl in his arms, the way his whole hand seemed to span the breadth of her back and her shoulder jutted into his chest.

"Jude!" Lily ran forward as Sirius placed the girl carefully down on the nearest bed, just as Aiza and Remus ran into the room.

"What happened? Godric! LILY!" Aiza ran to her friend who held a hand up in appeasement.

"Its old blood, Potter's healed me." The redhead wasted no more time with her dark-haired friend and rushed to the bedside, "I don't know what happened. I just walked into the bathroom and… I was flung out…" She pushed at Sirius so she could move closer to Judalia Devon, but Sirius was surprised by his own steadfastness, he somehow felt responsible for the delicate creature and remained by her side.

"Black. Move." Evans spat but Sirius didn't relent, instead he pulled off his charcoal grey sweater as Devon's teeth begun chattering at an incredible rate and he shuddered at the scorch that was her skin.

"No, don't." Evans voice wasn't as sharp as before therefore all the more appeasable for instructions to be heeded. "I think she has a fever; she can't be covered up!"

"Evans, she looks like she's freezing-" Sirius frowned, recalling Jenny's clammy skin as he rushed her through the rain, bundled up in his coat…

"I found this." Remus walked out of the bathroom with a plain white shirt in his hands, there was a visible splash of violet across the front which he sniffed at. "It smells oddly familiar."

"Maybe she was drinking something and spilled it." Aiza stood nearest to the door, her face holding no interest to an outsider's eye, but Sirius could see the rigidity in her neck and the stern set of her lips. She was far from unconcerned.

"The pattern on the shirt is more of a splash than a spill." James added, "Look, it looks like something was flung at her."

"She was changing her shirt when I walked in. I thought she reacted because of that, she's very private, she always changes in the bathroom… but then… I saw…" Evans frowned and leaned forward as the fine hair on the back of Sirius' neck prickled at the grating sound that ascended from Devon's throat, her breathing was getting shallow, and his sweater lay limp in his hand.

Evans touched the hem of the girl's shirt tentatively and Sirius saw the tiny girls fingers twitch in discomfort, but she evidently didn't have the energy to stop the redhead.

Her green eyes widened as she gasped at the purple skin that stood coarse beneath the white cotton and Evans let the shirt flutter back down, but the unnatural skin was vivid enough to see through the thin material and it matched the spatter pattern upon the discarded shirt.

"Somebody did this." Evans' voice seemed to seep through her flaring nostrils, "They attacked her, they threw this-"

"No. Don't touch it." James grabbed the shirt from her reaching fingers, carefully holding it by the white hem, "It could be poisonous."

"Poisonous?" Sirius turned back to the girl, to her wheezing breath and feverish face and her lips which darkened in a purplish bruise.

"How would someone have gotten into the dorm; you girls always lock it." Remus muttered, his brown eyebrows furrowed as he tried to piece the puzzle together, "Unless you didn't because Devon was in here-"

"It opens from the inside so even when Jude is in here, we still lock it." Evans bright eyes were riddled with discomforting thoughts, "You did lock it, right Aiza?"

"Of course." Aiza nodded, not the least bit defensive, her bare shoulders were high as she folded her arms before her, her light brown eyes sharp and focused on Devon.

"Are you sure?" Remus added and suddenly the girl spun on him.

"It's a simple spell, I'm not incompetent-"

"I never said you were; I was just-"

"You think I left the door open. You think this is MY fault-"

"What, no!" Remus gasped, agog at the drastic change in Shafiq's demeanour. The girl was evidently trying and failing to keep her cool, and the only person capable of penetrating that armour was Remus.

"Stop it! The two of you." Evans straightened and backed away from the bed, flinching into action at the hacking cough that suddenly riddled Devon, "I have to go and get Madam Pomfrey." She spun around but Shafiq surged ahead.

"No, Lily! You can't! If you get Madam Pomfrey, she'll get McGonagall!" The girl's long tan legs stood sentinels at the exit, "If you get McGonagall, she'll find out about the first years!"

"Who cares!" Evans snapped, "Jude might be poisoned Aiza, this is more important-"

"If McGonagall finds out they'll get in serious trouble! They'll get expelled Lily. Age Potions are illegal to brew without a license!"

"Then they deserve it!" Her eyes were cold, glittering emeralds that snapped to James and Sirius, "They knew exactly what they were doing, and they should be held responsible!"

"Evans is right." Sirius muttered, taking a step back from the girl, the sound of her breath like a ghost to his ears, "Go get Madam Pomfrey, I'll take the blame."

"No." Remus stepped forward, "I brewed the potion-"

"Only because you knew we'd muck it up. Remus, go, go back to the dorm." James muttered, running a hand through his jet-black strands, "Take Peter with-"

"No!" Shafiq snapped, "You can't lie. They'll do a full investigation, and they'll find out it was Remus-"

"Dumbledore won't expel him-"

"He won't have a choice, Lily. He didn't use it on himself, it was used on others! Lily if you tell McGonagall-"

"Evans, too much time is wasted already, just go get Pomfrey, we'll deal with whatever happens after, just get Pomfrey." James pushed his glasses right up the ridge of his nose in agitation.

There was a rasping sound that pulled their attention and Devon's torso bent away from the bed as she writhed in pain. Evans ran forward and just then the tiny girl gripped her fingers about her wrist and profusely shook her head in the negative.

"What, what is it, Jude?"

The girl repeated the action.

"I think she doesn't want you to tell McGonagall." Aiza added and the girl, rasping breathing yet silent of words, nodded in the positive.

The redhead stepped back. "Jude…"

"I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey-"

"No! Remus!" Shafiq grabbed at Remus' shirt as he tried to dash past her. "The girl communicates for the very first time since she's been here and you're going to deny her wishes!"

Lilting pink lips against pale cheeks brimmed in Sirius' memory and he recalled the smile Devon had offered him weeks ago, something he never told anybody about because he hadn't given it that much thought… that was her first time communicating with anybody… with him… but somehow, he remained silent and didn't correct Aiza…

"She's not exactly in any position to make such demands Aiza." Remus pushed forward, ever ready for self-sacrifice but Shafiq was relentless in her preventing his departure.

"Maybe we can take her to the Hospital Wing." James massaged the back of his neck as he thought aloud, "That way McGonagall need never find out about the first years, she'll never have to come up here."

"They will still launch an investigation into the matter, she isn't sick of her own accord." Shafiq's body was firm against Remus, and probably the only thing that kept him in the room, "And any possible witnesses would be questioned, the first years regressing into infants is bound to come up and McGonagall would not let that slide. She'll find out about the Age Potion-"

"So be it." Remus stated and pushed forward once more.

"Wait." Evans stepped back from the bed, her eyes wide and unfocused and her bottom lip sinking under her teeth in thought, "Potter. Give me the shirt."

"Evans-"

"The shirt." She held her hand out and James slowly and carefully placed the shirt into her dainty fingers, "Wait here with her, we'll be back soon. Aiza." She nodded to the taller girl as she swept out of the room.

"Aiza-"

"Please." Aiza's slender fingers spread across Remus' chest and Sirius looked away, somehow more uncomfortable at observing this tender moment than the almost kiss from moments ago.

He recognized his friend's deep sigh and the sound of retreating footsteps and turned back to the tiny girl, her eyes had sunk shut and he could see the little pattern of veins over the thin flesh.

He touched his fingers to her wrist, not knowing how to check for a pulse but trying nevertheless and his heart fluttered slightly as he felt fingers about his own hand, a better sign of life from the girl than the beating of her heart and he lowered into the seat beside her bed and began his watching and waiting.

-x-x-x-

"Well, well, well… I can more than forgive you for being late, love, if this is my gift of reconciliation…"

Mulciber's electric blue eyes sent a spike of revulsion up Lily's spine as they leered over her, her nostrils flared as the cool wall of the dungeons calmed her down, preventing her from clawing the revolting boy's eyes out.

Aiza snapped her fingers in front of the boy, snapping his attention back to her; he was in black dress robes and Aiza had just retrieved him from Lakshmi Jadhev's party, "Garrick, downstairs. Now."

He scoffed, a smirk lilting his lips as he stepped forward. Aiza didn't flinch or move as the boy leaned against her and Lily swallowed back a protest, even though her tall friend looked unfazed there was a deadened look in her eyes that made Lily want to rush in front of her and protect her, "I don't recall discussing a role reversal… since when did you give the orders Miss Shafiq."

"Since you're too mind-numbingly dumb for independent thought."

Lily's brows rose at the retort and her fingers gripped her wand in her pocket, but Mulciber only laughed in response, his fingers tilting Aiza's chin up as he smirked down at her, "Save the dirty talk for the bed princess, that little number you're wearing has me so excited that those words might just have me undone…"

"Garrick." Aiza stated without an inflection of emotion and the boy's smirk grew as he stepped back.

"As you wish Miss Shafiq. But do remember, all requests come with repercussions… and such lovely repercussions they will be." His laugh echoed eerily across the corridor as he turned towards the blank wall behind him, muttered the password and disappeared beyond.

Lily's insides squirmed in discomfort and guilt, she never wanted to put Aiza in this situation, asking the likes of Mulciber for assistance. But Lily knew no other way that would efficiently achieve her end, "I'm so sor-"

"Don't." Aiza leaned against the wall, her skin glowing beautifully beneath the lamp light and Lily crossed her hands about herself. She hated the fact that she made her friend ask a favour of the dreadful boy but she hardly felt like she had much of a choice. "I'm not."

"Huh?" Lily frowned at her friend.

"Sorry. I'm not sorry." Aiza shrugged, "What use is my friendship with Garrick if not for such causes."

Lily's brows rose in doubt, "Friendship?"

"Lily!" Sev rushed through the space that emerged in the wall, thankfully alone.

He was dressed in a plain white shirt and a pair of grey slacks that were creased in testament to his haste. Severus was always very particular about his clothing, ever since he recently had the privilege to be so, "What's the matter. Are you okay?"

His dark eyes searched into her with concern and Lily had to take a deep breath to bash away the distressed tears, "I'm sorry for the hour Sev, but I need your help."

"Anything Lily, are you okay? What is it?" He had repeated the question, but Lily did not answer. She never lied to Severus, never could, and she could not tell him how it hurt to do this. To go against her instincts and not follow protocol. Not inform McGonagall, not seek Madam Pomfrey's help…

Instead, Lily held out the shirt carefully, "Do you know what this is. The liquid… I think it's a potion, it smells familiar, but I can't recall exactly what."

Sev took the white fabric to his nose carefully and with just a breath his eyebrows crinkled, "Fluxweed… where did you get this?"

Well that made sense why Remus found the scent familiar, fluxweed bloomed at the full moon, its scent particularly intense at the time, he must have come across it… in his other form.

Other form…

"Isn't fluxweed-"

"In Polyjuice, yes, but this is not Polyjuice, but I think it is an alteration potion… where did you get this Lily."

"What kind of alteration?"

Severus' cheeks tinged a slight pink as he straightened up, "Physical alterations… of areas… private in nature. I hope you did not touch this."

"No, but what happens if it were to come into contact with the skin?"

"If it's the potion I think it is, it's usual intention would be achieved via oral ingestion but if it were exposed to the skin the ratios of knotgrass and fluxweed can result in a severe allergic reaction-"

"But it's not poisonous?"

Severus frowned, "It depends on the person in question, as you know immunity is different amongst different people, Lily. Are you okay?"

Lily sunk her teeth into her bottom lip in thought and fidgeted with her fingers, "Sev… could you… perhaps… do you have…" When did it become so hard to ask favours of him? It was just Sev.

"I have a paste, butterbur infusion." He didn't wait for her request, his dark brows fusing in thought, "I brewed it for practice some time ago, strong antihistamine properties, it might work… it depends on the level of the reaction and the person…"

"Anything, please."

He nodded, glancing at Aiza for the first time as he turned for the dungeons, the slight softness in his features immediately ironed out as he noted her presence.

Lily hastened forward and latched onto his elbow momentarily, "Thank you, so much."

"What are friends for?" He smiled, a fleeting and familiar smile that took Lily back to their sanctuary, their park, to a little boy who told her a fairy tale about witches and wizards and far away castles.

Aiza scoffed as Sev walked back into the Slytherin common room and the noise snapped Lily out of her reverie, "What?"

"What arefriendsfor? Snape is as much a friend to you as Garrick is to me, Lily."

Lily straightened her back and stared at her friend who had the uncomfortable nature of spitting out truths like she was merely commenting on the weather, "Perhaps I have misjudged Mulciber then."

Her brown orbs hardened as she glanced at the now blank stretch of wall, "No. You haven't… not in the slightest."

-x-x-x-

"Lily!" Mary greeted them at the entrance to the fat lady, her fingers interlinking and separating as she anxiously awaited the arrival of her dorm mates, "The potion finally wore off and the first years are back to themselves. Peter's taken the boys to their dorms, and I've already got the girls settled in."

She barely got a sign of appreciation let alone approval from the pair of girls who sped past the common room, and she hastened to catch up, bashing away her disappointment as she remembered the reason for their haste, "I've been up to check on Jude."

The girls thundered up the steps, Aiza with her long legs heading the front whilst Mary struggled at the back and Lily turned to her momentarily, "Has her condition worsened?"

Mary opened her mouth to answer but a deep wheeze emitted instead, they were walking much too fast, instead of waiting for an answer Lily continued to their dorm and Mary followed after.

"Evans!" Sirius gasped in relief as they entered their dorm and Mary's heart gave a great pang. She had been confused when she walked into the dorm to find Sirius with his hand in Jude's as she lay unmoving on her bed, even more so was the gentle look of concern in his dark grey orbs.

He, Potter, and Remus surrounded the four-poster in varying postures, Potter leaning against a bed post, Remus hunched at the end of the bed and Sirius hovering at Jude's side in that same confusing, protective stance. Marlene, who had arrived a few minutes ago, had emerged from the bathroom with a cool compress in her hand.

Lily halted at the bed, her large green orbs transfixed on the pale girl before her, "You have to leave-"

"No-" Mary sucked in a breath at the protestation in Sirius' voice.

"GO!" Lily snapped, "I'm not undressing her in front of you lot and I have to apply this paste and Godric, you better hope it works or I'm taking her straight to Madam Pomfrey and I don't care who gets expelled or what Jude requests."

Remus ducked his head down, the self-hatred evident in the forest green of his eyes as he made his way out of the dorm in quick strides, it was obvious he blamed himself for this. Mary found out that it was he who had brewed the Age Potion and due to the need to keep that information from the teachers, they could not take Jude to the Hospital Wing.

Potter glanced at the fragile girl with soulful hazel eyes and then followed Remus out the door, but it was Sirius who hovered, "I'll be outside if you need anything."

"You don't have to wait." Lily's voice shook slightly. Mary knew that Lily was the most righteous of them all, and she loathed not telling McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey about all of this, but most of all Lily was as protective as a lioness to those she felt responsible for, and in her eyes her cub was lying unconscious in the bed before her.

"I do." He glanced down at Devon; his grey eyes cloaked with memories and slowly made his way to the door.

"What was that about?" Mary couldn't help asking the question, surely Sirius didn't know Jude, yet he stayed by her side as if… as if he cared for her.

"Black craves attention Mary, do not offer it to him. Help me with her shirt and be careful not to touch her skin." Lily was all instruction as Marlene laid the cool compress on the girl's forehead.

"Snape said that that was some sort of sex change potion… James said it was thrown at her." Aiza was thinking aloud as she leaned against a bedpost, "Why would someone do that?"

"Cause her embarrassment. Ridicule. " Lily glanced at the door that the boys exited through, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I wonder who could do such a thing."

"You can't think it was them Lily, they seem just as shocked as any of us, and just as worried." Marlene frowned at her friend, ever the placating one.

Lily snorted, "Those boys care for nobody but themselves. They probably would have thought that it would work even if they flung it at her-"

"Lily, you can't think that-"

"Can't I Marlene! They just used an illegal potion on a bunch of first years-"

"For a bit of fun!" Marlene glanced at Mary and Aiza for help, "They wouldn't do…this."

"If not them, then who! Who else knew about the whole hermaphrodite joke! A sex change potion after that, it all seems a tad bit coincidental. They have a sick sense of humour then! Now Mary please, help me with this shirt. Aiza, get the paste."

"What if the paste doesn't work?" Aiza frowned down at the wooden bowl filled with yellow paste in her hand.

"It will." Lily's voice was steel confidence.

"Because Snape is infallible." Aiza cocked a brow at her friend as Lily dipped her finger into the paste.

"He's not failed me yet."

"Did you completely forget what happened at the lake that day?" Marlene frowned down at Lily.

Lily's eyes stayed on Devon, but it was evident by the rigidity of her back that she heard what Marlene had said, "Of course I haven't. To err is human, to forgive is divine."

"Such divinity would be the noose about your neck Lily. Some people do not deserve forgiveness." Marlene stated matter of factly, and Mary glanced at the floor.

"And some people speak of things they do not deign to comprehend." Aiza straightened off the post and looked at Marlene in a way that made the tall girl frown. Aiza had just doubted Snape two seconds ago, and now she was defending him? "And Mary, perhaps your concern should be redirected to the dying girl in that bed rather than the boy waiting at the door."

Mary's head snapped about and away from the door, from the shuffling of Sirius just beyond that she was straining to hear, "Aiza-"

"Enough." Lily gasped, "Mary, if you do not want to help-"

"Of course I want to help." She swallowed and walked forward, fidgeting with her fingers as she took in the bloodless face of the Judalia Devon, "I'm just worried."

"Jude will be okay Mary, this paste will work." Lily spared her a sympathetic glance before she turned back to Devon.

It was not Jude Devon that Mary was worried about though.

Mary sunk in the seat and watched as her friends tended the girl, glancing at the closed door as if seeing Sirius through it, his stormy orbs riddled with worry and the guilt that settled upon her pushed her shoulders further down.

She hoped that she had been more careful, with her words and her actions.

She hoped that paste Snape made will save Jude.

But most of all she hoped Lily was right earlier about erring and divinity…because most of all Mary hoped for forgiveness….

Feedback as always is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading.

Kalina